Cowboy BebopDirector Shinichiro Watanabe will direct a new TV anime series with Studio Bones.

Announced during the Director Insight panel at Melbourne’s Madman Anime Festival over the weekend, Watanabe confirmed that he is currently storyboarding a new series with the animation studio best known for adapting Cowboy Bebop The Movie and My Hero Academia.

Later during the panel, Watanabe said that he originally wanted to visit Melbourne for its music scene and architecture, taking photos of the city as inspiration for the project. And, in true Watanabe fashion, the series will have a heavy music theme.

While speaking to fans at a Cowboy Bebop: Behind the Scenes panel, Watanabe admitted he once worked on a series utilising tango music. The project was unfortunately cancelled but Watanabe teased that if there’s ever an original anime about tango music in the future, it could be by him.

Shinichiro Watanabe is best known for directing the cult classic sci-fi western adventure Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo and most recently, an anime prequel to Blade Runner 2049 titled Blade Runner Blackout 2022. Prior to the short, Watanabe hadn’t produced a new series since 2014 with Space Dandy and Terror in Resonance.

More information on the project is expected to be revealed at a later date.